Method and apparatus for providing redundant protocol processes in a network element

摘要

An embodiment of a method and apparatus for facilitating an activity switch between a plurality of redundant routing modules (402,404) in a network element (400) is disclosed herein. The method includes an operation for receiving a lower layer protocol packet at a lower layer task of a first routing module (402). The lower layer protocol packet includes a higher layer protocol packet encapsulated therein. An operation is performed for determining a peer network element from which the lower layer protocol packet was received. The operation for determining a peer network element from which the lower layer protocol packet was received is performed in response to failure of a higher layer protocol task (410) of the first routing module (402) while processing the higher layer protocol packet. In response to determining the peer network element from which the lower layer protocol packet was received, an operation is performed for terminating higher layer and lower layer protocol sessions of the first routing module (402) with the peer network element from which the lower layer protocol packet was received. After terminating such higher layer and such lower layer protocol sessions with the peer network element from which the lower layer protocol packet was received, an operation is performed for implementing an activity switch from the first routing module (402) of the network element to a second routing module (404) of the network element (400).